Читать книгу Dad's Guide to Pregnancy For Dummies - Sharon Perkins - Страница 11

IN THIS CHAPTER

Exploring what it means to be a father today

Taking stock of what will change in your life

Facing the decision of whether to have a baby

Surveying the next nine months

Apparently, congratulations are in order: Either you’re going to be a father sometime within the next nine months or you’re in the planning stages of becoming a dad. Either way, you’ve come to the right place. You’ll face no bigger life decision than choosing to become a parent. (And no bigger jolt than being told baby is coming if you didn’t expect it!) The best gift you can give to your soon-to-be child is confidence, and the only way to feel confident before becoming a parent is to prepare yourself for the journey that lies ahead.

Perhaps you’re already floored by equal doses of joy and fear, which is a good sign that you recognize the magnitude of the change, but fear not — you’re up for the challenge of fatherhood. Emotions run deep when confronted with the prospect of raising a child, mainly because it’s a huge commitment and responsibility that, unlike a job, never has off-hours. Babies are expensive, confusing, and time consuming, and for many fathers, they represent the end of a carefree “youth” that extends well into adulthood.

Experiencing a jumble of feelings is normal, and the more you take those emotions to heart and explore what fatherhood means to you — and what kind of father you want to be — the easier the transition will be when baby arrives.